


When Midoriya Played God With Song

by SilentGhostWriter2017



Series: The Dekubowl Chronicles [3]
Category: Uta no Prince-sama, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Background Relationships, Crossover, F/F, Gen, M/M, Midoriya Izuku Does Not Go to U.A. High School, Midoriya Izuku Does Not Have One for All Quirk, Midoriya Izuku Has a Quirk, Morally Grey Midoriya Izuku, Neither a hero nor a villain, Powerful Midoriya Izuku, Put Your Hands Up Radio: Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic’s Radio Show, Singer Midoriya Izuku, YouTuber Midoriya Izuku, nor a vigilante either
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:53:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22144423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentGhostWriter2017/pseuds/SilentGhostWriter2017
Summary: He had a quirk, but it never showed. Everyone mocked and demeaned him for it. They left him broken to pick up the pieces, thinking he will amount to nothing and a waste of space.They couldn't be more wrong.The world is ignorant of the dangerous being they created. He plays this ignorance to his advantage, letting the world decide it's fate. He is only the catalyst, after all, hiding behind a mask of innocence.If the world wanted to crumble, he'll just help it along.With everything balanced precariously over the cliff-edge, can a single earphone-jack heroine intervene before the inevitable fall into destruction?
Relationships: Hatsume Mei & Midoriya Izuku, Jirou Kyouka & Midoriya Izuku, Jirou Kyouka/Yaoyorozu Momo, Midoriya Izuku & Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Minor Midoriya Izuku/Aijima Cecil
Series: The Dekubowl Chronicles [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1410751
Comments: 87
Kudos: 455





	1. Unleashing

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Canary](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19334392) by [cloud_nine_and_three_quarters](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloud_nine_and_three_quarters/pseuds/cloud_nine_and_three_quarters). 



> I don't own Boku no Hero Academia or Uta no Prince-Sama. They belong to Horikoshi Kōhei and Broccoli respectively.

Midoriya Izuku always wanted to be a hero.

He was not alone, it was practically the dream of every child in the country to become a pro-hero, to save lives and do good for society. Of course, the fame and popularity were an added bonus, but the glamour of being a hero, a purveyor of justice and a symbol of what is right and good, was an attractive lure that had many a child like Izuku hooked and wanting to achieve.

Especially, when the country’s number one hero, All Might, came into the picture.

The Symbol of Peace he was known, All Might was the darling of the country. His super strength, booming laugh, permanent smile and rousing catchphrase of “I AM HERE!” struck confidence and assurance to the general populace, and fear to the villains and scourges of society who tried to ruin the lives of the innocent. He was the ultimate hero, a role model for the young and old alike, and an aspiration for many children like Izuku hoped that one day they will achieve or even surpass.

All Might gave off an aura where anything was possible, that any dream was attainable with hard work and determination. 

What no one told Izuku was that it was all a lie. That the dream that so many youngsters like him coveted was only possible for a select few, who were blessed with the means of becoming a pro-hero. That the system was incredibly broken and corrupt, and where the saying “not all men are created equal” could not be any more truer.

Izuku, like so many others, was blind to this reality, deluded by the fantasy that society so readily embraced. It was when he reached the age of four, that this perfect illusion began to falter.

* * *

There was a detail about being a pro-hero that was never told to young impressionable children like Izuku - you had to have a powerful quirk.

Quirks - a special ability a person possesses, where the possibilities are endless, from telekinesis to super strength like All Might - dominate everyday life in Izuku’s world. So obsessed society was about quirks, the most common opening liner in a conversation with someone new was “what is your quirk?”. Potential pitfalls aside (we’ll get to that in a bit), that opening liner was often used by children, especially when their quirks manifested at the age of four.

Four was the age that excited all children, and Izuku was no exception.

He knew what his parents’ quirks were - his mother was able to pull small objects towards her, and his father (who worked overseas) could breathe fire - but like many children his age, he hoped to get a quirk that would catapult him to All Might’s level.

As previously said, it was the dream of many to be like the number one hero, including his.

But like all dreams...they were not meant to last forever.

The first hairline crack in the illusion came when Izuku reached his fourth birthday...and his quirk never manifested.

Now, this wasn’t a major source of concern for his mother Inko. Late bloomers were not all that uncommon, and it wasn’t a definitive statement to say that once a child turns four, their quirk will suddenly manifest. 

Izuku wasn’t deterred in the slightest. He spent many a day trying to will his quirk into manifestation, blowing himself breathless and straining himself physically to the point of exhaustion to make any object (big or small) fly towards him.

No one thought much about it, until the days turned into weeks, then months, then into a year.

When Izuku turned five, and no quirk had presented itself, Inko grew concerned for the first time. With dread growing in her stomach, she took her only son down to a quirk specialist.

In such a society where quirks make up the very fabric of life, there was one fate that was worse than death for a good number of people… being born without a quirk. 

The Quirkless, as these individuals are called, make up the ever-shrinking portion of the population who do not have a special power to call for themselves. Essentially ordinary and boring, it would be prudent to say it is the worst nightmare for many (superfluous and stupid, I know, but this society is fucked up). No one wanted to be quirkless, or have anything to do with those who had the unfortunate luck to lose out on the genetic and heredity lottery that was severely warped by the superficial public in the first place.

It was a constant source of anxiety at the back of the minds of many parents. Inko was no exception.

So it was that sole reason that she and her son were now sitting in the office of the specialist, having x-rays taken of his feet. The defining characteristic of a quirkless person was an extra joint in their pinkie toe. The young boy was rather clueless about what was going on, though he did notice the apprehensive look on his mother’s face as they waited to be called back into the office, which in turn made him upset. 

He didn’t like to see his mother worried, despite her many reassurances.

On the large TV monitor attached to a pillar, a number flashed with a bell chime. 

“Come Izuku.”

The boy dutifully followed his mother back into the specialist’s office. Dr. Tsubasa, his name was, turned towards them as they entered.

“Ah, Midoriya-san, young Izuku, please have a seat.”

“How is it, Dr. Tsubasa?”

The portly man’s moustache bristled, “Well the good news is, Midoriya-san, the x-rays showed no indication of the extra joint in either pinkie toe, which means your son most definitely has a quirk factor. I wouldn’t worry too much, Midoriya-san, your son for sure has a quirk, the only thing that is out of our control right now is figuring out when the factor will transition from dormancy to active.”

The worried look on Inko’s face melted away like ice on a hot day. Izuku’s excitement returned, “Does that mean I can become a hero one day, like All Might?”

Dr. Tsubasa chuckled, “Who knows? Your quirk factor is an unknown right now, young Izuku. While it is more common for children like you to inherit either one of your parents’ quirks or a combination of both, in your case, it’s possible that your quirk is something completely new or a mutation of your parents’ quirks. You are a unique boy, Izuku, and the possibilities are endless with you.”

One would have to be blind to see the stars in Izuku’s eyes. The young boy made a noise of excitement as his imagination went wild.

It was a happy son and a relieved mother who left the general hospital, hopes renewed for a quirk for the former which he could cultivate towards his dreams.

Neither one realised that this was the start of a slow descent into spiral of pain.

* * *

At first, Dr. Tsubasa’s words were a reprieve from the worry over the late manifestation of Izuku’s quirk. They were a reassurance to classmates and Kacchan (Izuku’s childhood friend) that he was going to have a quirk, it was just a matter of when.

Kacchan wasn’t really perturbed by that. With his quirk, Explosion, poised for greatness by just about everyone around the blonde, he proclaimed that he will become a hero that will surpass even All Might, and declared that Izuku will be by his side when he rises to the top. It was a vision that was as attractive as the rarest gems, and it made Izuku yearn for his quirk to come even more.

At first.

The first hairline crack lengthened, and spread.

Days again became weeks, then months, then years. When Izuku started elementary school, his quirk had still not manifested. By then, his confidence was starting to wane. Children his age were beginning to treat him as if he was quirkless, despite his attempts to say otherwise. Not even his legal records listing his quirk as “Unknown” helped; the fact that he didn’t have a physical quirk to show off meant that Izuku was slowly becoming a social pariah. Few wanted to associate themselves with him, some of the more crueller children even avoiding him as if he had some contagious disease, throwing vicious verbal abuse from a safe distance.

The cracks continued to spread, and more splintered when suddenly, out of nowhere, Kacchan joined in on the torment. 

Izuku never knew why his childhood friend turned on him. Unlike the other children though, Kacchan didn’t just hurl verbal abuse whenever he was in the vicinity, he had somehow decided to take it upon himself to physical harm Izuku at any given opportunity. 

It started with blows, punches, smacks, slaps and kicks. 

Then came the explosions. 

Almost everyday, Izuku would come home nursing some kind of injury, be it burns from the explosions or bruises from the physical attacks. They were painful, but far from serious, for Kacchan was smart. The blonde never escalated his violence against his former friend beyond what was clearly criminal. Any injuries Izuku faced always looked accidental, or from roughhousing that virtually all the adults associated with energetic young boys.

The abuse would continue for years into adolescence and middle school. Each passing day would produce more cracks and splinters, Izuku growing more and more fragile. Trying to keep himself whole, he stubbornly clung onto his fracturing dream of becoming a hero like All Might, and even picked up an almost encyclopedic skill for analysing quirks, honed from long hours observing heroes and villains fight one another in some morbid spectacle. But even then, life continued to hammer away at him, worsening the cracks.

Until one day...he teetered over the precipice of no return.

* * *

Izuku’s day was already a bad one to begin with.

He had been humiliated (intentionally or not he didn’t know) by his homeroom teacher when he revealed to the entire class that he (and Kacchan) were applying for the U.A. entrance exams. Not only had everyone laughed at him, Kacchan told him once classes ended that if he valued his life, he should do what was right and renounce his application. The blonde then twisted the knife further by mocking his quirk analysis, destroying his notebook, and delivered a parting blow that would forever haunt the fragile teen’s existence.

“You are fucking delusional to think that you actually have a quirk. Do us all a favour and throw yourself off the school roof. No one cares about your pathetic excuse of an existence, and the fucking world will be better without you taking up valuable oxygen.”

More cracks formed, the jagged pieces barely holding on to one another.

Izuku hurried home, just wanting to get away from the cruelty of reality to the privacy of his room, where he could meagrely attempt to mend his already-brittle dream. He took a shortcut through an underpass, only to be ambushed by a villain made entirely out of slime. It very nearly took control of his body when it was suddenly blown away by the backlash of an almighty punch that also sent him flying.

He blacked out after that, regaining consciousness from the incessant patting his cheek received. When he registered who had just saved him from an untimely death, he almost lost control of every bodily function possible.

It was All Might.

Izuku got an autograph for his trouble, but he had important questions to ask, something only the number one hero could answer and settle his fragile heart once and for all. Unfortunately, All Might was already taking his leave, preparing to take a flying jump into the air.

So the teen did something only the most desperate of humans would do.

Grab onto All Might’s leg just as he blasted up towards the sky.

It didn’t take long for the Symbol of Peace to realise he had a stowaway clinging onto him for dear life. After a brief mid-air scuffle, All Might quickly flew towards the nearest rooftop.

* * *

Izuku barely heard the rightful scolding he got from All Might for his reckless stunt. He only wanted the hero to stop speaking, so he get the chance to ask the question that had been plaguing him for years. 

He had just opened his mouth when a great rush of steam billowed outwards and blanketed the rooftop. Coughing, Izuku opened his eyes…

...only to see that where the number one hero was previously standing, was now occupied by a gaunt, skeletal man which scraggly blond hair and ill-fitting clothes far too big his size.

Izuku was about to scream bloody murder about an imposter when the man quickly shushed him. His heart almost stopped.

The voice, was extremely familiar.

The man spoke, and Izuku realised he wasn’t hallucinating or dreaming.

It was really All Might.

But how?

What followed was a revelation. The skeletal state was the default, when All Might, or Yagi Toshinori as his real name was, wasn’t being the number one hero. He had a time limit in the muscle, which had been steadily dropping as he got older, exacerbated by a fight against a notorious villain that cost him a lung and his stomach five years prior. 

All Might stressed the importance of keeping this secret hidden. The low crime rate in Japan, comparatively better than the rest of the world, depended on the villains and scourges of society not knowing about this weakness. And Izuku was more than happy to not tell anyone about it and to take it to his grave. But that wasn’t his main priority.

“All Might-san, I’m again so sorry for the trouble I gave you, but before you go, there’s something I need to ask you. I have waited too long for this chance.”

“What is it, kid?”

Izuku swallowed, “I-I have a dormant quirk. Can I be a hero like you?”

Several beats of silence followed.

“Dormant quirk?”

“I have a quirk factor,” Izuku explained, “But my quirk has not manifested yet. But I can still be a hero like you, right?”

Izuku subconsciously held his breath.

Another moment of silence.

“How old are you, kid?”

“Fifteen, All Might-san.”

The final throe of silence.

“I’m sorry, kid. You can’t be a hero.”

Izuku choked,  _ W-What? _

“You’re effectively quirkless,” All Might continued, “and I think it’s unlikely that your ‘quirk’ is ever going to manifest given that it hasn’t after so long.”

_ No… _

“You’re already a teenager, you should have realised that it’s fine to dream or imagine, but as you get older, you have to think realistically about what is possible and impossible. It’s unhealthy and dangerous for you to hold on to such delusions. Lives are at stake in the field of heroics, the smallest mistake means that someone loses a friend or a loved one.”

_ Stop...please…! _

“There are other ways of being a hero than going pro. People like paramedics, police or disaster relief, they are important in saving lives too. It’s not glamourous, but ultimately safer for someone like you.”

_ Stop…! Stop…! _

**_The cracks worsen, the pieces wobbling._ **

“All I’m saying is, kid. For the sake of your loved ones and everyone else around you, give up. You’re doing not just others, but also yourself, a favour by letting go.”

**_*SMASH*_ **

**_The cracks give way, the pieces collapse into a pile of ruin._ **

Izuku was completely still, eyes unfocused, glassy and moist. All Might took his silence as comprehension, moving towards the staircase, with an off-hand comment to think about the advice he had given him. With the click of a slightly-rusty door, Izuku was left alone.

Slowly, the teen’s legs gave way, and he crumpled to the rooftop floor. The rising tears tipped over his eyelids, cascading down his cheeks in a slow stream that got steadily faster and harder. He was in such shock, he forgot to cry.

In the end, he did.

From such great heights, the wind blew strong, almost masking Izuku’s heart-wrenching sobs as he laid in the ruins of his soul. Everything was in a mess - his emotions collapsed on top of one another and his thoughts swirling in a hurricane. He didn’t know whether to keep crying, or to scream at the heavens for condemning to such a hell, or to laugh in literal mad hysteria that his role-model and hero, just like so many others before him, had destroyed his dream, and taking the honour as the one to deliver the final death blow.

It was just a huge mingle of noise, paid no heed and unknown to the world as it passed. 

Then, it fell silent. Both the wind and Izuku’s sobs. 

For several moments, it stayed that way.

It seemed that Izuku had no more of a voice to cry, but the tears continued flowing.

Very weakly, he rose from the concrete floor. Izuku didn’t know how long he had been lying prone, his legs weak and shaky, his joints aching from the awkward position he was previously in. He stood still to steady himself, then as if he was in a trance or catatonia, he slowly stepped towards the railing at the edge of the roof.

No, he had no intention of climbing over and leaping to his death as Kacch- no...Bakugou (he didn’t deserve that endearment anymore) told him to earlier in the day. Suicide and self-harm were conspicously absent from Izuku’s shattered mind. No, he was merely following what his instincts were pulling him towards, like a doomed sailor enthralled by the alluring, deadly song of a siren.

He reached the railing, and with stiff hands, gripped the rusting metal with flaking paint. The tears dripped from his jawline, falling with a splash onto the base of the railing.

His ruined mind emptied of stray thoughts and emotions like water running down a basin drain. Instinct whispered to him, and he opened his mouth.

A sound came out, crackly and hoarse from his previous sobs. It had no words, or semblance to human communication. It was just a sound, or a vocal, if you were.

If anyone heard it, it would have been a sore to the ears. It was out of tune, off-pitch, simply noise made to cringe and wince at. Izuku stopped, and closed his mouth. He returned to his bag, pulled out a water bottle, and took several gulps, rehydrating his parched throat. Putting it away, Izuku returned to the railing.

He opened his mouth again, and the vocal was released.

This time, it came out smooth and soft. It was generic, tuned singing without any lyrics or meaning. Like how one would idly hum a tune while they go about their business.

But it did not last.

Such calmness was soon replaced by sadness and despair as memories began to return to Izuku’s empty mind. Filled with years of torment and pain, Izuku began to cry again, his sobs mixing seamlessly into his song. His heart swelled with emotion, and an energy he did not notice. It surged up and out with his song, spreading outwards into the world.

The white, fluffy clouds dotting the blue sky above morphed into a distraught dark gray, spreading quickly until the sky itself had become wrought with anguish. Just like Izuku, tears in the form of raindrops began to fall to the Earth. It started soft, as a light drizzle that was merely a minor inconvenience to the citizens walking in the streets below. But it quickly strengthened with Izuku’s song, the cascading water falling faster and harder into a typical rainstorm. Below on the streets, umbrellas were opened while the unfortunate ones rushed through the road using whatever they had on hand (or for some, just their hands) to keep off the rain. 

However, not even umbrellas would provide much protection for what was to come.

Izuku’s despair began to spiral out of control into unbridled fury and rage. Self-pity boiled into righteous wrath. Screams melded into the song, as Izuku cursed and condemned the heavens and fate for making him suffer for so long.

The rain fell even harder, to the point it began to hurt. The wind picked up, the howling battling against Izuku’s song for dominance. The dark sky occasionally flashed with a bolt of lightning.

Izuku did not heed to the growing chaos happening in the streets below him. The wind was blowing so strong that people were being swept off their feet. Parked cars were tipped over. The trees that lined the pavements snapped like rotten toothpicks, collapsing onto unfortunate pedestrians who couldn’t get away in time. The rain hit as hard as hailstones, smashing windows and actually bruising those who were out in the open. Not too far away, a certain slime villain holding a certain explosive blonde hostage was forced to let go of the teen when the rain began to puncture into his slime, only to be swept away by the typhoon-force winds and slammed into a building. At the same time, the lightning became more erratic, striking buildings and people alike one after another.

Despite being soaked to the bone, Izuku stayed firm, protected by the energy that was surging into his voice. He only sung louder, building up into the final climax.

The end came with a high soprano note, and a blinding blast of lightning that destroyed power to much of the area. Izuku’s song faded away into silence, and with it, the rain, wind and lightning slowly receded. He rested his forehead on the railing, taking deep breaths to balance himself.

Ignoring the re-emerging chaos below him, Izuku raised his head defiantly at the heavens, his eyes glowing a deathly-emerald.

“No more.”

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *


	2. Experimenting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midoriya goes to Dagobah beach to test his new quirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own or lay claim to any of the songs used in this story.

The ‘Great Musutafu Storm of XXXX’, as people dubbed the apocalyptic freak weather incident that ravaged the city, was all that was talked about in every newspaper and major TV network across Japan for several days after the event took place. Many were calling it a nefarious act by an unknown villain with a weather-manipulation quirk, but no one stepped forward to claim responsibility. 

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, damage assessment and disaster relief were deployed. 

Eventually, two dozen fatalities were counted, mainly from the lightning strikes and falling trees (or in the case of the slime villain, eviscerated to microscopic pieces by the wind and rain), and hundreds injured across a spectrum of severity (a certain explosive blonde was sent to the hospital with a minor concussion and multiple cuts across his head, face and body after the wind threw him through a storefront window). The damage to property and infrastructure skyrocketed into the billions of yen, which officials estimated would take weeks to have everything running normally again. 

Ignoring the fallout of his own doing, Midoriya had more important things to follow through.

* * *

Returning home to a frantic mother completely drenched, the first thing Midoriya told her once her barrage of questions came to a stop was that his quirk had manifested.

And that he was the reason why the entire neighbourhood was without power, and the destruction in the downtown area. 

From there, Midoriya did not stop. Answering his mother’s questions, everything came out. Starting from his shitty day thanks to Bakugou (Inko had fallen silent, but he could see the rage building up in her eyes), getting attacked by the Sludge Villain (his mother’s anger took a back-seat as frantic worry took over), getting saved by All Might, and having his dreams destroyed once and for all by the Symbol of Peace.

Now, tears brimmed the woman’s eyes, and she pulled her son into a tight hug, whispering apologies over and over in an attempt to comfort him.

Midoriya didn’t need that.

“Mom, it’s fine,” he told her, “All Might’s callousness means nothing anymore, because I have a quirk now.”

There was a pressing question Inko needed to ask, “What is your quirk, Izuku?”

“Singing,” he replied, “I can control the world with song. The storm that devastated the downtown area? When All Might left me alone on that rooftop, I began to sing. It brought upon the wind, rain and lightning down to the world.”

“Izuku...that’s…”

“Insane? Powerful? I know,” Midoriya nodded, “There are so many possibilities. So much room for experimentation and trial. Because of that, Mom, there’s something I need you to help me with.”

“What is it, sweetie?”

“Pull me out of school.”

Inko needed a reason for that, “Why?”

“Bakugou wasn’t the only one who made my life a living hell. He galvanised the entire school to turn against me because I didn’t have a quirk, and bear in mind this has gone on for years. I don’t wish to have anything to do with that bastard, for not even gaining a quirk will allow me to forgive him for what he has done to me. People always say that one should remove themselves from a toxic and volatile situation, and for the sake of my personal safety, it’s imperative that I leave that school.”

“But what about your education?” Inko pressed, “You have a quirk, you can go to U.A. and-”

Something flashed over Midoriya’s eyes, “Mom, no. Just because I have a quirk now, does not mean I want to become a hero. In fact, I have no desire to pursue that path of lies any longer.”

The woman was silent.

“I assure you, Mom, that I’m not going to become those layabouts who waste their days away drinking beer and watching TV. I just need time to learn the boundaries of my quirk, and I intend to make use of it in some way, what exactly I haven’t figured out yet.”

…

…

“If you’re sure, Izuku,” Inko clarified after a moment.

“I’m sure,” the lad nodded.

‘After all’, he added as a silent afterthought, ‘I don’t need to be a hero to cause major upheaval.’

* * *

The next day was a Saturday, giving Midoriya all the time in the world to explore his new quirk. 

He woke up to a starkly-different bedroom. Just twelve hours before, the room was a virtual shrine to All Might - posters plastered on top of each other, figurines, paraphernalia of all sorts and even All Might-themed living fittings. 

Now, everything was gone. The posters all torn and shredded, all paraphernalia thrown into huge plastic bags to be given away, even his bedsheets and curtains replaced with generic ones and thrown into the back of his closet to collect dust and become food for moths. 

He wanted nothing more to do with his anguished past. From this day forward, he was starting anew.

After breakfast, Midoriya left home to a specific location in the area which was the perfect place to test out his new quirk. It was called Dagobah Municipal Beach, but from what Midoriya gathered from photos spread across the Internet, calling it a beach would have many people questioning one’s mental state and eyesight.

It was a literal landfill, piles after piles of garbage covering every square inch of what was previously a very beautiful beach, accumulated from years of pollution washed up from the ocean and illegal dumping. There was a decidedly-foul stench created from the salty air mixed with rotting garbage, driving virtually everyone away from the site. 

It was just right for Midoriya. No one would even deign to disturb him. 

Thankfully, the suburban bus network was still running despite yesterday’s freak storm, saving Midoriya the journey of having to walk there himself. Naturally, since the beach was some distance away from the residential area, he was the only one to alight at the bus stop. 

His nose crinkled as soon as the doors opened. The stench was really potent, and there was an organic layer to it. He was honestly not surprised if several corpses (hopefully not human) had been dumped somewhere among the towering piles of garbage and waste he could visibly see from the pavement.

Well, he had no other choice. He just needed to take a very thorough shower when he returned home.

Stepping down the small flight of stone steps that would have otherwise ended at the start of the sand, Midoriya gingerly stepped over and around the piles of garbage, careful not to lose his footing over the unstable sections while holding his nose whenever the stench grew too much. He stopped when he was about a metre away from where the murky, polluted waves of the ocean breached onto the garbage. It should be a safe distance without getting wet.

Spotting an old washing machine with a cracked window, Midoriya slowly climbed up and perched himself on top of the appliance. Shifting a bit to make sure it was stable, he slid his yellow backpack off his shoulders, and pulled out a small portable speaker. He connected it to his phone, and opened the music app he had downloaded the previous evening. Within a span of four hours until he decided to sleep, he had downloaded over three hundred songs, popular both during this age and the pre-quirk age preceding it. 

Midoriya swiped through the list, scoping a random song to test his quirk. His finger stopped at one particular single that was popular in the early 1970s.

He hit the ‘play’ button, the opening guitar riff echoing loudly over the polluted beach. Midoriya quietly listened to the band sing, idly tapping his heel against washing machine in time with the rhythm. 

When the song ended, Midoriya expected to have to replay it multiple times to memorise the lyrics, only to discover the moment he thought of the words, everything was crystal clear inside his mind. The entire song was at the ready to be sung whenever he wanted to.

Excited over this development, Midoriya fished out a water bottle and took a sip. Putting it away, he pressed the ‘play’ button again, the opening guitar riffing for the second time. It took almost a minute for the song to begin proper, but Midoriya cleared his mind of all thoughts, and began to sing.

**Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple**

_ “We all came out _

_ to Montreux _

_ On the Lake Geneva shoreline _

_ To make records with a mobile _

_ We didn’t have much time.” _

Midoriya continued tapping his heel with the rhythm.

_ “ _ _ Frank Zappa and the Mothers _

_ Were at the best place around _

_ But some stupid _

_ with a flare gun _

_ Burned the place _

_ to the ground.” _

On cue with the last line, Midoriya felt a surge of energy inside his chest. At first, he didn’t think too much about it, focusing on the song. Meanwhile, somewhere else in the suburban neighbourhood, there was a loud, high-pitched whistle, followed closely by several loud bangs. An inconspicuous two-story house was suddenly set aflame after an unsupervised child ignited a series of fireworks inside, the flames spreading quickly like a hungry beast on a rampage for something to consume.

_ “Smoke...on the water _

_ A fire in the sky! _

_ Smoke...on the wa-” _

Midoriya suddenly stopped singing, his mouth hanging open silently even as the song continued. Dark gray smoke, something one would expect to be produced from fire, was rising in plumes off from the incoming waves of the ocean. The sky above suddenly flashed, catching his attention. A large patch blue roared into fiery reds, oranges and yellows, immense tongues of fire flickering wildly in the heavens.

Both phenomena lasted for several moments, before vanishing entirely.

Midoriya was left stunned. He couldn’t believe what he had just done. Bordering on shock, he sat completely still, the song playing in the background. 

Half his mind was convinced that he was hallucinating. This wouldn’t do, he had to try again.

He caught up with the second chorus.

_ “Smoke...on the water _

_ A fire in the sky! _

_ Smoke...on the water.” _

Again, as if proving his point, smoke began to rise up from the ocean. The sky flashed again, and fire spread over the clouds. 

Midoriya was left speechless. Now, he was certain he wasn’t dreaming things. 

Stopping the song, he fished out a notebook and began writing:

**How Quirk Works**

  * **Lyrics are perfectly remembered after first time listening**


  * Lyrics play out in physical form on cue with the song


  * How quickly does this happen? (Requires further study and experimentation)



He paused, a thought crossing his mind. Could he do this multiple times?

Putting his notebook on his lap, Midoriya gazed out towards the horizon.

_ “Smoke...on the water. A fire in the sky! Smoke...on the water.” _

He stopped, waiting for something to happen. Seconds passed, but nothing. No smoke appeared on the water’s surface, nor did the sky flash with fire.

Midoriya quickly added a third point to his notes.

  * **Apparent cooldown period after song ends completely or prematurely.**


  *     * How long?


  *     * Does that mean I can only sing one song at a time? Or can I sing a different song?



For the second leading question, Midoriya swiped through his playlist for another song. The clicker stopped on one that was more recent.

He pressed play, and listened to the song once through, absorbing the lyrics. Once ready, he rewound the song and prepared to sing it for real, determined to not stop no matter what happened to see the full effects.

  
  


**Bang Bang - Jessie J. ft. Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj**

_ She got a body like an hourglass _

_ But I can give it to you all the time _

_ She got a booty like a Cadillac _

_ But I can send you into overdrive (oh) _

Somewhere in the piles of garbage, a shell of an old car started whirring as if speeding up on a road.

_ (You've been waiting for that... _

_ Step on up swing your bat) _

_ See anybody could be bad to you, _

_ You need a good girl to blow your mind, yeah! _

Midoriya threw out his hands one after the other.

_ Bang bang into the room (I know you want it) _

_ Bang bang all over you (I'll let you have it) _

_ Wait a minute lemme take you there (ah) _

_ Wait a minute till you (ah) _

On each ‘bang’, an earth-shattering explosion burst out from his palms, shaking the beach and dislodging pieces of garbage from the piles. 

_ Bang bang there goes your heart (I know you want it) _

_ Bang, back seat of my car (I'll let you have it) _

_ Wait a minute lemme take you there (ah) _

_ Wait a minute till you (ah) _

Too immersed into the song, Midoriya jumped up, and punched his fist into the air.

_ She might've let you hold her hand in school _

_ But I'm a show you how to graduate _

_ No, I don't need to hear you talk the talk _

_ Just come and show me what your momma gave (oh, yeah) _

He leapt off the washing machine, sliding down to the base of the pile. 

_ (Okay you've got a very big shhh, _

_ Mouth but don't say a thing) _

_ See anybody could be good to you, _

_ You need a bad girl to blow your mind! _

Midoriya eyed the opposite pile, throwing his palms back.

_ Bang bang into the room (I know you want it) _

_ Bang bang all over you (I'll let you have it) _

_ Wait a minute lemme take you there (ah) _

_ Wait a minute till you (ah) _

The explosions bursting from his palms propelled him forward, shooting through the air like a cannonball. He hit the top half of the opposite pile, dislodging more garbage. The second line of explosions took him downwards to the ground, demolishing the pile behind him.

_ Bang bang there goes your heart (I know you want it) _

_ Bang, back seat of my car (I'll let you have it) _

_ Wait a minute lemme take you there (ah) _

_ Wait a minute till you (ah) _

The next three explosions took Midoriya over one shorter pile and partially destroyed two more in front and behind it. Landing on the ground, he muttered,  _ “You know what, girls? Let me show you how to do.” _

_ It's Myx Moscato _

_ It's frizz in a bottle _

_ It's Nicki full throttle _

_ It's oh, oh. _

_ Swimming in the grotto _

_ We winning in the lotto _

_ We dipping in the pot of blue foam, so _

Midoriya never realised how fast his mouth could move and shoot the words out like a machine gun, but he brushed it aside and focused on finishing the rap.

_ Kitten so good _

_ It's drippin' on wood _

_ Get a ride in the engine that could go _

_ Batman Robin it _

_ Bang, bang, cocking it _

_ Queen Nicki dominant, prominent _

Out of nowhere, Midoriya started dancing along with the fast-paced rhythm.

_ It's me, Jessie, and Ari _

_ If they test me they sorry _

_ Ride his uh like a Harley _

_ Then pull off in this Ferrari _

_ If he hangin' we bangin' _

_ Phone rangin', he slangin' _

_ It ain't karaoke night but get the mic 'cause I'm singing (uh) _

Spinning on his heel, Midoriya threw out his hands in a piston movement in time with the song.

_ B to da' A to da' N to da' G to da' uh (baby) _

Each letter produced a weaker ‘pop’ from his hands.

_ B to da' A to da' N to da' G to da' hey _

_ See anybody could be good to you, _

_ You need a bad girl to blow your mind! (your mind) _

Letting himself go, Midoriya broke free, letting off explosions to jump and burst indiscriminately.

_ Bang bang into the room (I know you want it) _

_ Bang bang all over you (I'll let you have it) _

_ Wait a minute lemme take you there (ah) _

_ Wait a minute till you (ah) _

_ Bang bang there goes your heart (I know you want it) _

_ Bang, back seat of my car (I'll let you have it) _

_ Wait a minute lemme take you there (ah) _

_ Wait a minute till you (ah) _

The explosions came one after another, barely giving time for the preceding to fade before the next one shook the beach again, dislodging more garbage..

_ Bang bang into the room (I know you want it) _

_ Bang bang all over you (I'll let you have it) _

_ Yo, I said bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang _

_ Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang _

The rapid-fire explosions levelled many of the piles onto one another or into the ocean

_ Bang bang there goes your heart (I know you want it) _

_ Bang, back seat of my car (I'll let you have it) _

Midoriya threw one hand into the air, the other to the ground.

_ Wait a minute lemme take you there (ah) _

Both hands then went level, facing outwards.

_ Wait a minute till you (ah) _

Midoriya was suddenly thrown backwards by what was arguably the largest and most violent explosion of the entire episode. He crashed hard into one of the piles of garbage, body screaming in pain from the forceful impact. He remained sprawled over the garbage, reeling from the aftermath of the explosion and from the pain. 

It was God knows how long later did the pain recede enough for him to slowly pick himself up. Brushing off whatever dust, rust and grime off his clothes, Midoriya heard the distinctive sound of sirens and people shouting. Quickly as possible, he went back to grab his bag, speaker and phone. He barely left the polluted beach when the police and several mid-level pro-heroes arrived at the scene. Not wanting to take the bus, Izuku walked home instead, avoiding streets where people had gathered, no doubt worriedly gossiping about the explosions that shook the neighbourhood one after the other.

Eventually, Midoriya returned to his apartment complex. After a very thorough shower and a fresh change of clothes, he retreated to his room, took out his notebook and added a few more points.

  * **Apparent cooldown period after song ends completely or prematurely.**


  *     * How long?


  *     * Does that mean I can only sing one song at a time? Or can I sing a different song?


  *     *       * I can sing different songs after finishing one.


  * Effects depend on the different meaning of the lyrics


  * Important: Check through every song lyrics first before singing, including surrounding environment



The latest point was especially crucial, Midoriya told himself. He had to be really careful while experimenting with his quirk, he was almost caught by the police and pro-heroes earlier. He could  _ not  _ afford to get caught by any one, especially the authorities. His plan of causing major upheavals to the world who had wronged him could come crashing down if he was careless.

That simply would not do.

* * *

The explosions that echoed over suburban Musutafu was talked about on the evening news that night. Like the apocalyptic storm preceding it, the anchors theorised that it was due to a villain with an explosion-quirk. As again, no one had stepped forward to claim responsibility, and the search by the pro-heroes and police dispatched turned up nothing.

Midoriya decided to wait a day to let the buzz die down before returning to Dagobah. In the meantime, his mother came home with the news that his withdrawal from school was authorised. He remained blank-faced when Inko ranted about how flippant the principal was over the matter, displaying such disinterested callousness that no doubt was due to her son’s apparent quirklessness. 

He wouldn’t do anything for now. But that didn’t mean he would forget this slight.

Once Monday came, instead of heading off to school as he would have done, Midoriya returned to the polluted beach. Finding another piece of broken appliance to sit himself on, he took out his speaker and phone, swiped down to ‘Smoke on the Water’, and pressed play.

_ “Smoke...on the water. A fire in the sky,”  _ he sang along,  _ “Smoke...on the water.” _

The world reacted, smoke rising from the ocean and the sky flashed red with fire as previously done. Midoriya finished the song, and took a moment to stare out towards the horizon to think what to do next.

Now was a good opportunity to check how long the cooldown lasts before he can sing the same song again, but he didn’t know how long that was going to last. And also, what could he do in the meantime while waiting?

Midoriya scanned the filthy landfill. It was such a horrible pity that the natural beauty of the beach had been spoilt by the flaws of mankind, selfish beings who only care for themselves and not for others…

An idea came to mind.

Why not he clean the beach and return it to its natural glory?

Midoriya thought about it, it was certainly going to be a herculean task, especially because if he were to do it, it would only be him. He couldn’t afford outside help. He didn’t want anyone else to notice this place - his testing ground for his quirk - after all, and his neighbours weren’t exactly the socially-responsible or proactive types. Yet at the same time, he could see the benefits of such a solo endeavour. 

First, it maintained his privacy for at least a while. Second, it would build up his body. Midoriya was still pretty scrawny, and while he might have removed himself from the toxic setting that was his middle school, it would do him the world of good if he had the strength and muscle to defend himself from any physical attacks. Furthermore, he didn’t want to tax his mother further by asking for a gym membership. 

Actually, now that he thought about it, he really needed to find some sort of income now that he was out of school. He promised his mother, after all.

But what exactly...he wasn’t entirely sure.

Now though, perhaps he could get started in organising the garbage into piles meant for immediate clearing first. 

Midoriya checked his watch, it had been three minutes since he sung ‘Smoke on the Water’. He’ll check again in two minutes, followed by every subsequent five minutes. In the meantime, it was now time for him to get his hands dirty.

* * *

**To Be Continued.**

* * *

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs used:
> 
> Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple - Cover by GELOSH TRIBE)  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDtV_l1jaO4
> 
> Bang Bang - Jessie J ft. Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj - original  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxTdKnW-03Y
> 
> So what do you guys think? Your feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, though any flaming will not be tolerated.
> 
> Cheers everyone, and party on!
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017

**Author's Note:**

> What do you guys think? Your feedback and kudos are greatly appreciated, flaming of any sort will not be tolerated.
> 
> Cheers everyone!
> 
> \- SilentGhostWriter2017


End file.
